


Nothing But My Name

by undergroundparade



Category: NCT (Band), TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Background Relationships, Bullying, Canon Divergence - Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Character Death, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Multi, Post-Canon, Some Fluff, probably a lot more that i'm forgetting, toto/doraemon, uhh this whole thing is honestly just a songfic to run away that got out of control
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26520646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undergroundparade/pseuds/undergroundparade
Summary: hairy pewter au where kai is an outcast hufflepuff because of his slytherin family and uncontrollable magic and yeonjun is a quirky 7th year slytherin who doesn't believe in blood purity and is dreaming to become an auror.they become friends after kai, in a rare fit of anger causes a fire in the great hall and yeonjun turns it into petals and snow.stealing that description from ig cause it applies yes thank you!heartbeat - btsafraid - day6colors - day6run away - txt
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Choi Soobin, Choi Beomgyu/Choi Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu/Huening Kai, Choi Beomgyu/Hwang Hyunjin, Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Choi Soobin/Huening Kai, Choi Soobin/Kang Taehyun, Choi Yeonjun/Huening Kai, Choi Yeonjun/Kang Taehyun, Huening Kai/Kang Taehyun, OT5 - Relationship
Kudos: 34





	1. 1

the laughter won't stop.

it's been years and it hasn't stopped.

he clenches and unclenches his fists, the nerve in his temple pulsating. younger and older students alike jeer at him.

the first few times it happened, he laughed with them because it _was_ kind of funny; to be the black sheep of such an esteemed family. but three years of people sneering at him even when he does nothing to warrant their actions is tiresome. and they are so hard to ignore.

why is it this way?

kai is not a hateful person. no. he's taught himself to let things go, to forgive everything. everyone. and be quiet. because it's not his family's fault for being the way they are. and it's not his classmates' fault that they believe what's written in history books without knowing the truth. because they should. if it's written, then it must be true even though the future has changed.

but it _is_ his fault for not being able to stop his heart from aching, and his mouth from cursing... and magic from setting fire to everything.

the laughter turns to aggravated protests. someone throws a scone at him for disrupting dinner; the boy behind him threatens to knock him over.

the sparks erupt into angry blazes, and then, they all begin truly screaming.

and maybe there really is something very wrong with him because he prefers it, sounds almost like music.

only, the heat grounds him and kai realises it has gotten out of his control... again. 

the flames are climbing up the stone pillars and eating up the wooden frames. a professor attempts to grab his shoulder, but anyone who tries is immediately thrown away by an invisible force. 

the headmistress is yelling over the din, ordering her other students to gather inside her protective enchantment. a huge blast of light momentarily blinds him and everyone has been transported away from the chaos. 

kai can't help but envy her a little, wonders what it's like to be one of the legendary weasleys. what he'd trade to have such a name, admired and beloved by all, surely.

the professors are trying to contain the fire inside the hall with tremendous effort.

kai resents himself. 

the enormous gilded handles of the doors rattle and a violent gust of magic throws open the entrance. a boy with hair the color of lemons waves his wand and makes a path through the fire. he breathes easy, smiling at kai and mouths a spell.

the heat licks at his skin and he thinks it's alright, if this is how he should go. but a strong wind envelops him and the other boy, creating a cloud of ash and flame. he hears a tinkling sound and the ribbons of fire burst into...

"snowflake" the boy says to his face quietly, chuckles. he smells like roses.

kai didn't even know when he got so close. how could he do that?

instinct moves his feet and before the boy can lay a hand on him, he's running as far away as he's able.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you might notice some changes. i found i write fuller when i'm on my pc. (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)


	2. 2

the only reason people didn't believe in nargles was due to them never having found- let alone capture- one. but in fact, it was easy to uncover even the tiniest of the illusive creatures if one only knew how. a little trace revealing charm ought to do the trick. and of course one had to have faith they could catch them to make it work.

 _he_ knows how to catch things, naturally.

and it doesn't take a lot of guessing to find where the boy is hiding. because he isn't too small, and certain emotions make strong perfumes. and if it were him in the boy's shoes, he'd want to be alone and far away as well. but there are only so many areas within the grounds to run away to.

he can all but see him, crouched under some broken desks, sobbing and berating himself.

poor thing. 

it would be faster and more practical to simply apparate to where the little troublemaker is, and the sooner he confronts him, the better. but frankly, yeonjun doesn't mind. time had always been on his side, and the fifty flights of stairs he has to climb to get to the owlery gives him space to compose his thoughts.

it's still just speculation, but the fluttering in his stomach makes him want to believe otherwise. 

and _if_ he _is_ right and he knows two of them now, then, he needs to take even more precautions for others not to realise it, lest they be... taken away.

yet, he's certain the headmistress has known about their existence within the school for quite a while, and it still baffles him why she had made no implications to report to the ministry. however, he can't say he isn't grateful and supposes that as long as they haven't caused too large a damage, it can still be helped. yeonjun can still make it.

besides, a bigger question is nagging at him. 

the door is wide ajar when he reaches the top. scattered patches of moonlight dot the floors and walls. he figures the tide must be high and it is too unsafe to be sneaking about. yeonjun laughs to himself.

he peers inside to find the boy petting and talking to the owls, fixated on a green horned one. his hand doesn't quite reach it and he has to tiptoe a bit to lay a finger on its beak. the owl blinks its large eyes sleepily.

"ah, yes." yeonjun hums in amusement. "i see you've discovered toto."

the boy startles, curly head turning every which way.

"easy. okay?" yeonjun assures, his hand waving a calming spell behind his back to stop the kid from escaping.

"that green one you were singing to," he starts again conversationally. "his name is toto. you like him?"

the kid looks straight at him with doe eyes, stammers, "yeah...he's...he's cute. he's different-"

"that, he is." yeonjun agrees, stepping closer, glad the boy doesn't look like running now.

"that's because he's not an owl."

"huh?"

the boy turns to...toto. the creature's ears twitch. it opens its mouth and a shrill, vibrating noise comes out, making him skip.

"be quiet, you crazy bird!" yeonjun growls. and to the boy's surprise, toto growls back.

the kid half laughs. "what...what was that?"

yeonjun extends his arm towards the bird. he makes a high pitched sound through his teeth and it hops onto him. 

"this is my brother's parrot." he explains, a finger scratching the bird's head.

"we...uh...cast an illusion charm on him so we could smuggle him in, but we haven't been able to turn him back for some reason-" yeonjun clicks his tongue- "we suspect someone found out and enchanted him-"

"you're not a-afraid of me," the kid starts suddenly. "and you...you don't hate me?" he sounds so hopeful, it makes knots form in the older boy's chest.

yeonjun gives him a hearty chuckle, leaning close.

"snowflake, see my colors?" he points to his eyes, one like the sea and the other like the sun. both glitter with the same kind of fire- "you should be the one getting scared."

"albireo." the kid mutters. he stares, mouth hanging slightly open. 

"what's that now?" yeonjun blinks, ripping the boy away from his daze. 

"the...the swan star...never mind." he answers, head shaking and eyes downcast.

yeonjun places the bird back on its perch, turning. "you watch the stars, snowflake?"

the boy nods almost too enthusiastically, the dark curls of his hair bouncing. "i love astronomy!" he exclaims. "the stories that go with it...they're great. i... i love the one about the princess that was sacrificed to the o-ocean beast the most..."

"morbid." yeonjun interjects.

"w-well...they're just stories...of course. and stars...stars are peaceful."

the older boy motions an agreement.

"snowflake, how 'bout we make a deal, eh?" he hums, placing a hand on his hip. "i'll teach you how to...control _that -_ " he makes a circular gesture towards the boy- "and _you_ tell me about your stars." 

"can i play with toto?"

"sure."

"m-my name is kai...not _snowflake._ "

"i know, snowflake."

\--

the sun is partway down the horizon when kai hears a tinny whistle coming from the crack on the window. he turns his head to see if anyone else has noticed, but no one seems to be looking away from their books.

professor spinnet is nearly finished explaining the difference between argemones and celandine. no doubt she'll be asking them to brew a sedating potion sometime soon. 

"and next week, we'll be visiting the greenhouses to collect the ingredients. i've already told professor fletchley to prepare them."

the class whoops and begins chattering. some of the girls titter and throw knowing glances at miss spinnet and then, each other. the professor clears her throat.

"that's all for now." she says, voice stern. but kai catches her flustered smile before she turns to leave.

the students begin to file out; the air of intrigue exiting with them. and though he feels uncanny that the troubles from two nights prior have seemingly been forgotten, he is comforted that no one paid him any attention.

then, there is a sudden, loud pop that just about causes him to jump out of his skin.

"oh no! don't leave yet!" 

the slytherin boy has appeared at the window, gesticulating wildly.

kai arches his shoulders, checks around to see if all his classmates have gone.

"what...what are you doing?" he hisses, taking one step forward and then back when the boy starts climbing onto a spandrel and swings himself inside, somersaulting in front of kai.

"we had a deal, remember?" he replies, bowing and waving to an invisible crowd.

kai nibbles the inside of his cheek.

"i... i didn't think you were serious." he admits.

"well, now i'm a little hurt-" the older boy feigns a sob, hand clutching his chest- "you should take your elders very seriously."

"i...okay. i'm sorry."

"oh?" he hums, bemused. "you're actually a polite little snowflake, aren't you?"

the slytherin examines the room, poising his hands like a frame. he sticks his tongue out in thought.

"n-no one seems to remember what happened." kai suggests with a hint of relief. "they...all hate me for n-normal reasons."

"hmmm...that-" mumbles the older boy. "it's in the punch, i think."

"what is?"

the answer doesn't come right away.

the cicada begins to twitter; the sky swirling orange and purple. swan star boy nods to himself and then, casts a muffling charm upon the room. he casts another which kai is not familiar with; it causes a faint, blue glow to wash over them. one by one, the sconces on the walls light up. 

"memory muddling potion."

kai observes his sleeves, hands, shoes as the glow passes, making everything shimmer before it fades. he looks up.

"y-you...stopped the fire. how did you do it?" he pleads, tails the other boy as he goes around the room. "not e-even they could do it."

"oh, they really could have." the slytherin guarantees, waving his hand nonchalantly and clearing the chairs and tables away in the process. "that was just a simple transfiguration spell. they were just... too busy focusing on you to deal with the actual problem-" he arcs his arms and the bottles float into the opened cases- "then again, people will often forget things when they're in a panic."

"but you... got rid of all of it at once." kai insists.

"well," the boy winks. "i _am_ brilliant, you know?"

kai can't quite decide if he's right or just immodest; he makes a face.

"i-if there was a potion in the drinks o-or anywhere, then... then why are _we_ not affected?" he tries again, eyeing the other suspiciously.

"me?" the boy points to himself.

"i don't like punch-" he shrugs. "not _that_ one, at least. and you-" he gestures to kai- " _please_. as if you drink anything other than muscat juice."

"aha!" the younger boy jumps suddenly, making the chairs topple to the floor. "i knew it! you really have been watching me!" he exclaims, stabbing a finger to the direction of his companion.

"well, of course i have." the slytherin admits coolly. "how do you think i showed up at the exact moment you were losing your marbles?"

"w-well..." kai shrinks back.

the older boy scrunches his nose in amusement, his two front teeth appearing. "that's flattering, snowflake. but-" he pushes kai's hand back to himself- "you really shouldn't point. it's a little rude."

kai sits on a desk, confusion written all over his face. 

"it's her... i-i know it's the headmistress did it... made everyone forget." he mutters half to himself. "but why doesn't she just let me go?"

"i have the same question." says the other, pulling the boy away from his musing. " _but_ , i also have an idea for what reason."

"then... then why did you-" kai pauses, backtracks- "why _are_ you helping me?"

the boy looks at him thoughtfully, tapping his wand on his chin. he lets out a sigh, strong gaze turning gentle as he sizes up the young hufflepuff. he tucks the wand into the pocket of his robe. 

"let's just say... i have someone very important to me who can sympathise."


	3. 3

the air inside the potions classroom feels like static. it sends prickles down his arms, causes the bottles on the shelves to clatter and the windows to vibrate. the jar of fermented bat wings starts bubbling.

yeonjun notices kai's eyes narrow, figures he must be adjusting to the slight change in pressure.

"it's alright." he soothes, raising a hand and making the room pulse with the blue light.

" _cantato celo,_ " he offers. "when we leave, no one will be able to tell what happened here."

"that... what's that?" the boy rubs the sides of his head. "that doesn't exist."

yeonjun gives him a dismissive glance. "well, it does now."

he removes his robe and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows, turning his back to kai. he gives a little nod.

"i promise i won't get you into more trouble than you're already in."

"where did you learn it?"

the room fills with the scent of roses.

"did you know that back in the old days, and i mean the _really_ old days, wizardfolk had no other tools to direct their magic aside from their hands?" the slytherin begins, ignoring the question. "that's because the truest, purest magic is willed by the self, and no wood, nor wandcore can dictate what kind you can master."

yeonjun makes a show of stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles. 

"do you understand what i'm trying to tell you?"

"i...h-honestly don't think i do." kai no longer sounds amused. the glow from the sconces bounce off of the older boy's features, making his golden eye flush ember. he is wearing a wild kind of grin.

"you don't need a wand, snowflake. in fact, i think this should be easy for you-" yeonjun decides. he waits a beat. 

a manic rattling comes from the southern door. the temperature drops as if to signal something terrible approaches.

"now, please step away from the target-" he says finally, turning.

the dementor rushes towards the boy with star eyes. he pirouettes, the wraith missing him by a hair. kai goes flying to the corner via flipendo. 

his heart is hammering wildly against his ribcage as he watches the phantom hover over the other, concludes that the slytherin is insane for even presuming to fight without a wand.

the boy circles around, palming the wall. he motions for kai to stay hidden and kai feels a veil covering him.

the slytherin is still smiling.

he rolls under the dementor, barely escaping the bony hands. the dark mist touches him and for a moment that feels too long to be a second, he senses the horrible tingle of death, anguished screaming echoing in his head.

the room begins pulsing again; the pressure in kai's ears making his temples hurt. 

the boy has taken out what looks like a chain out of his back pocket, twists it around his arm. kneeling, he raises the same arm towards the monster, shooting a bright light that seems to disorient it; the dementor lets out a shriek, gliding back. and to kai's absolute horror, the boy follows, jumping to it, fist aimed straight into the creature's mouth. kai buries his face in his arms.

there is a wet, gurgling noise. the boy convulses a bit, his face contorted into something painful. 

a terrifying, deathly wail reverberates on the walls and shatters a window, forcing the hufflepuff to witness. the older boy's sleeve is covered in what looks like a mixture of slime and soot, but other than that, everything is intact. the creature is gone and kai finds that there is something attached to the chain.

the boy falls back, gasping, sweat making his hair stick to his brow. he points at kai's direction and motions his fingers upwards. the younger boy feels the veil lifting. he crawls out of his hiding spot, stopping to examine the object on the floor. 

"don't touch... not yet." the older boy warns. 

"what happened?"

"have you begun your divination classes?" asks the slytherin, picking up the stone and holding it to kai's face.

"i...y-yes. i-is that... amethyst?"

the boy gestures for kai to hold out his hand. the latter concedes and he drops the amethyst necklace onto his palm.

"i sincerely hope-" the other begins softly, voice a little hoarse- "whoever that wretched soul was, finds peace now."

kai observes the older boy for a moment, watches until his breathing turns even; he looks exhausted and pale. then, he turns warily to the stone in his hand. 

"that white light..." he says vacantly. "was that-"

"a patronus, yes." the boy confirms, sounding a little sad. "it was weak... but yes."

he breathes a deep sigh. "dementors... they're ancient. but they came from somewhere. they were once someone. that's what i suspected."

kai blinks, dumbfounded.

"amethysts are used to purify." the boy answers simply.


	4. 4

kai spends the whole night tossing and turning.

the blue and gold eyes rolling back, the choked up sob that came deep from within the older boy's throat and the way he fell to the floor, face white as a sheet, gaunt as though he'd aged some decades replays over and over in his mind. he can still feel how the air shifted so abruptly that he had no time to properly react, only registered what was truly happening when the bright haired boy had already flung him out of the way.

kai wonders what the slytherin had seen; what could have made the boy retch such an agonized sound? the wraith had not even once turned to kai himself, yet, simply being in the same vicinity was enough to cause him to recall one of the worst taunting he'd suffered. 

they hung him by the laces of his shoes on the spire of the clocktower once. they made it so his robes became his binds. one of the older gryffindors meant it as a joke to impress one of the girls. and kai was easy picking. if he is still small now, he was more so when he first entered school. and they'd known about him long before they'd seen him due to his sister having been removed and shipped to beauxbatons for the same reason he is being tormented: the blood he carries in his veins. but unlike him, lea would fight back.

his face had already turned blue when the defense against the dark arts professor came, enraged at finding his students flocked together just watching, and cradled him down. that student was expelled. as they should have been.

he had pleaded on his palms and knees for the family to send him away too. to durmstrang, or ilvermorny... _mahoutoukoro_ for goodness sake. anywhere but here. but they refused because everywhere else required forming new connections, constructing new paths to access him whenever they must which heightens the already high risk of his discovery and therefore, losing him. to be concise, he is valuable and they have to keep him on a short leash.

and kai is young. but he knows this much.

he curls deeper into the blanket, bone achingly tired but not yet daring to fall asleep for fear that the hollow face is waiting to greet him in his dreams.

he had never encountered those creatures so close- wished he never had to- and without his guardians too. he had seen them once or twice when there were matters the family had to settle at court. but they were always just at the edges, far enough that he only had to think of them as mildly threatening decorations. though, he is aware his aunt kept one for reasons undisclosed to him. frankly, he doesn't care to know. 

but now that he thinks on it, he is definitely curious how it came to be in her employ. 

a feeble light creeps up the curtain behind his roommate's headboard. kai finally closes his eyes, hugging his pillow tight to his chest, feels the solid impression of the aspen rod through the cloth.

he had been instructed to keep his wand near at all times, learned that if he was going to be alone often, then, it was best to have a method to defend himself. he had been sleeping with the thing hidden in his pillowcase for who knows how long, was content on keeping it that way. but then comes this strange, fascinating individual who holds a constellation in his eyes, beguiling him and contradicting everything he's been taught.


	5. 5:1

it's one of those mornings that he would gladly skip in exchange for more sleep. the great hall buzzes with excited conversation; tiny paper birds fly to and from students of different years and houses.

kai takes his seat off at the far end, hears the words _apparition_ and _potions classroom_ being passed across the table.

his heart starts hammering loudly, thinks if anyone cared enough, they'd hear it trying to beat out of his chest. he stifles a shaky exhale, stops himself from jiggling his leg. he remembers the slytherin saying no one would know what happened once they were out and watched him fix the broken window too. but apparently, the spell only works on the interior. the glass that fell outside is still lying on the ground.

how troublesome.

"do you know anything about that, stoic?" the voice makes his back stiffen, shoulders shooting up to his ears.

the fifth year sitting next to him is staring with an unimpressed scowl on his rugged face.

"yeah! weren't you the last one out of there?" another student asks, voice a lot chirpier. kai has to hold himself back from bolting away; she is in his class.

"did you see it up close?"

_was it really a ghost? what does it look like? may i see your transfiguration homework?_

"i -i-"

a loud crackle causes the gossiping to cease.

the headmistress and her professors have apparated to their seats, looking rather grim. rose weasley claps her hands and breakfast appears on the tables. she doesn't greet them good morning.

kai is thankful for the food as he is once again ignored in favour of strawberry waffles, mugs of hot chocolate, a pot of pink, aromatic liquid, an assortment of flavoured buns and pudding. the students begin talking about the ghost again, albeit in more slightly hushed tones. he peers over the other table in search of something lemony, heart plummeting to his stomach when he doesn't find him. and despite the sweet, tempting smell of the taro buns, kai decides he's not really hungry.

he feels the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

he can't be too sure, as he's purposely trying to avoid their gazes, but he thinks the headmistress and the defense against the dark arts professor are eyeing him, making his skin feel like it's caught fire.

transfiguration and charms become his greatest tests of endurance.

he had no idea how to turn a rat into a cup, started a ruckus when he got the stresses for _ratiforma_ all wrong. instead of RAt-Ti-forma he said ra-TTI-forma and botched his spell. the animal turned into a creature with only two legs, a tongue for a tail and a hole for a face. missie- or was it minnie? the gryffindor girl, whatever her name was- who had bribed him with a fifty percent discount coupon for honeydukes in exchange for the transfiguration paper he did not do, passed out when the botchling crawled onto her neck and licked her ear with its tongue-tail.

kai couldn't get himself to feel too bad. her coupon was expired.

monsieur garell, the substitute had to get the elves to help locate the sorry- but unbelievably nimble despite having less legs and no face- creature when it skittered away.

and at the end of charms, he made the mistake of asking professor botts what she knew about _cantato celo_. she had given him an incredibly perplexed look in response. and he excused himself from her presence so fast, the other students wouldn't have a hard time spinning hearsay that he'd told her something indecent if they so wished.

hence, he avoids the halls and the people asking about the poltergeist, which is how he finds himself in the library thanking the stars there aren't any familiar faces except for one. he almost missed him, in fact, if it wasn't for the stone that's dangling from his ear glittering in the sunlight and catching kai's attention. 

when kai comes closer, he notices the small tail of yellow hair first. the slytherin is bowed over a large book, scribbling long, wavy patterns along the edges in gold ink. he doesn't turn when he says, "hello, snowflake."

"they... they were talking a-about it during breakfast. i... didn't see you anywhere."

"oohhh-" the older boy coos, wiggling his arms. "you looking for me now?"

"no?" kai retorts. 

the slytherin replies with a snort.

"i was studying." he shrugs dismissively.

kai eyes the bandaged up arm under the sleeve of his school robe. the wrapping cloth is stained with a dark liquid and his fingers look singed. he is tempted to ask, sure that the boy has felt him staring.

neither of them mention it. 

"hey," the slytherin swivels on his chair, rests his cheek on the undamaged palm. "so, it's your turn to enlighten me with your tales from the heavenly abyss." he says, blinking his mismatched eyes up playfully at the blushing boy.

kai furrows his brows, looking away.

"i will go."

"incarcerous."

thin ropes loop themselves around his limbs and then tighten. despite the threat, kai made no motion to actually leave. it was truly unnecessary. the older boy laughs when he drops like a ragdoll. the library collectively makes a shushing sound and something in kai's ribcage twists.

"what is wrong with you!" he squirms, hissing at the older boy who has moved to sit on the floor next to him. he is smiling. annoyingly so. 

"see," sighs the other. "it's unfair for you to take lessons without paying me back." he wags his finger right at kai's face, taps him on the tip of the nose.

"i... i didn't ask you to, though!" kai counters sharply, jerking his head away.

"oh? yet you still took it."

kai barks at him, earning them another collective hush.

the boy waves his hand, releasing the bonds. he offers his arm for kai to take, which the boy does despite his irritation. 

"i got carried away," says the slytherin, helping the younger boy to dust off his robe. "i'm sorry."

kai gives him a hum. 

"anywho-" he takes him gently by the elbow- "come. i think it's best we go somewhere with less..." he lowers his voice, grabbing his things, eyes shifting to the corners expectantly. "-ears that pry."

they take a back exit. kai had been unaware the huge, black door that opened to a spiral staircase even existed as it blended into the stone. it surprised him twice over when they come out of the spire facing the path to the boathouse even with it being on the opposite wing. then again, he never stayed in the library tower longer than it took for the librarian to check out his books; never stayed anywhere too long, for that matter.

it's sort of pitiful to admit that even on days that aren't especially eventful, kai chooses to stay within castle walls; the walls of his room to be precise- as instructed. it wouldn't be such a stretch to say that he has never before breathed much of this kind of brisk air he is breathing now. he never expected it to smell so... liberating.

the older boy is walking ahead, hands at his back. he treads lightly, almost skipping. sometimes he bobs his head when the wind picks up as if there was some tune in it he is dancing along to.

kai smiles to himself as he watches the indents he made on the grass disappear whenever he stepped further away.

\--

a sliver of pale light makes a path from the gap in the curtains to the shiny leather boots standing at the door. 

rose weasley paces in her study, brows knotted together. she looks up at the dignified faces of all her predecessors, hand to her mouth. none of them would have ever let this happen. save for the one sallow skinned, hook nosed man whose name they no longer acknowledge regardless of her uncle stating he was brave and honorable. 

it had been so peaceful when edward still sat at her place. everyone loved him so much that they mourned when he resigned to pursue other adventures in tibet. much to his wife's chagrin.

perhaps she should not have been as lax as he was. she could stand to lose the favour of her beloved students in exchange for their security. that's all that matters, after all.

she leans on the windowsill, white faced, and pulls the curtain slowly to the side. beyond is a picture of perfect serenity. the sun is high, but not too glaring. and her children are strolling about on the courtyard, unaware... unbothered.

the leaves have begun falling.

"how could a dementor enter the school and for us to have been ignorant about it?"

the man approaches. "rosie... please."

she turns to him, stares right into the soft, grey eyes with tears filling the bottom of her own blue ones. his face is lined with the years, just as her hands are. 

"scorpius-" she worries her lip, presses a hand on the glass- "the children were in danger and we didn't even know it."

placing a hand on the small of her back, he turns her around and guides her to her desk. rose grips the corner of the table to steady herself as she sits down.

"it must have been searching for him." scorpius says, smoothing her hair.

"of course it was searching for him!" 

she shakes her head, clasps and unclasps her hands. "this... this cannot get out. we're risking so much more than the ministry's wrath."

he takes a long, dragging inhale.

women like rose; women with so much passion and so much brilliance...yet so little logic. and he swears by her.

scorpius takes her hands to prevent her from chipping at her nails.

"i know." he assures, kissing her knuckles. "i know, my sweet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edward is teddy lupin.  
> ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ  
> thank you for the kudos!  
> i hope this isn't going too slowly for you.


	6. 5:2

yeonjun picks up a smooth, flat stone and throws it to the lake. it sinks with a single, large ripple.

"you know, i've never really learned how to skip a rock." he muses, turning to face his companion.

kai flips the one he had chosen over in his hand, looks up at the older boy and then to the glistening water. the horizon seems to stretch on forever. much, much farther than what he was told to know.

he extends his arm a little ways back and then swings it forward halfway, expertly releasing his fingers. the stone skates the water three times before it disappears. the older boy claps, giggling. his eyes are thin lines. "can you do that again?"

"i-i mean-"

there is a mysterious shine in the mismatched eyes. kai drops to his knees, sifts through the soil to find another perfect pebble. 

"hmmm." yeonjun clicks his tongue, hooks an arm under kai's to lift him up. "that was a test, see? there's no harm in saying _no_ , snowflake." 

he spins him round, the younger boy floundering. "how long do you think that one's lived for?" he asks, pointing to the enormous magnolia tree as they walk towards it. alone in the middle of the clearing, it stands nearly as wide as it is tall, its boughs making splendid canopies; kai measures a diameter of five carriages long for the width of its trunk and its crown seems to hold the clouds.

"a-a long time... i guess."

the white blossoms sway in the wind, petals stripping from the body. they whirl, slow and soft and blow away.

yeonjun sits the hufflepuff on the patch of ivory under the tree, takes the book he had been scribbling on earlier out of his bag to place on the grass.

kai reads _a guide to transfiguration: a different theory and new rules volume iv_ in silver gilding. 

it's quiet a while when the older boy picks up the perianths that ended up on the ground. he carries them in his palms as he would a wounded bird. kai watches.

"book please." he says, nodding towards the tome. "open it to the marked page, would you, snowflake?"

kai acquiesces but stops when he finds that almost all of them are 'marked' pages. the corners and edges are filled with symbols and diagrams; formulas and words he supposes are spells witten in different coloured inks. there are a few folded leaves. "w-where?"

the older boy tilts his head as if to tell him to flip the page. kai does so.

the slytherin holds out his palms. "here-" he nods at the pile, takes kai's hand and drops the pieces of foliage there. kai holds them just as delicately.

"i... heard you're not very good at transfiguration."

the hufflepuff slinks back a bit. he bites the inside of his cheek. "it's the r's..."

"same." 

yeonjun presses his shoulder against kai's, feels him stiffen a little. the side of his mouth lifts slightly when the kid doesn't move away. he smooths out the crease of the folded page. "you see, i am also as unpracticed with the _fors_ and _formas-"_ he rolls his eyes as if to express his disappointment at the way his tongue folds into itself- "and other unnecessary rolling of the tongue that comes with incantations-" he shakes his head- "so, i rarely speak them. helps keep your motives hidden too, if you know what i mean."

kai knows what he means. though, mystified at what personal motives the slytherin has. 

"i found figures such as these were more useful." he traces a circular pattern on the book, the print lighting up where his skin passes. "i know it looks complicated-" he laughs when the younger boy side-eyes him- "i mean... of course at first, it would be. but, at least you never have to learn emphasis. it's pretty straight forward. just shapes and symbols, snowflake. and your desire."

the older boy takes a petal from the pile in kai's hand, lifts it up to his face. 

now that kai has gotten over the headache of first glancing at the figures in the book, he realises he recognises the symbols: the circle with a point in the middle means the sun, the crescent for the moon, another circle with a cross below and a crescent above for mercury and a few others he's sure he'd seen before, having been introduced to them in divination class. 

"as you know, transfiguration is... moving from different states of existence." the slytherin explains. he places the petal on top of a diagram where it sits in the middle of three circles with corresponding symbols; the pictures form a triangle. 

"sun for the heart, salt for the body, arsenic for transformation." 

he hovers his bandaged palm over the diagram, wordless. it takes a second for something to happen.

first, the heart symbol flickers with a gentle, yellow light, hissing. the body then follows, the circles around them smoldering.

the older boy holds himself like that for a few moments, face a mask of calm, but kai notices his arm is trembling slightly and the black marks on the cloth have spread. 

he waits, eyes the darkened fingers, saying nothing. a thick sludge has oozed over them. the slytherin is looking more pained.

the transformation symbol ignites and the petal along with it. it vibrates and then shifts, lifting, lifting. it splits and becomes wings. 

the butterfly flutters off.

kai inaudibly gasps.

"imagine you're brewing potions in your mind, except it's less complicated." yeonjun offers. "these symbols-" he underlines the markings with a finger- "are the only ingredients you'll ever need."

he takes another petal from the pile and holds it between them. it morphs into a feather.

"earth. salt. arsenic. things that aren't alive have more give." the older boy says. he tosses the tuft over his shoulder and kai thinks he saw it dissolve.

"now-" yeonjun gestures at the remaining petals. "see if you can make something out of those." 

kai begs the book to respond when he places his hand over it.

"i- i don't think i'm cut out for this." the hufflepuff mutters, eyes downcast. he falls backwards with an annoyed grunt. yeonjun leans on the trunk next to him. the petals lay scattered atop the page.

"didn't happen the first time i tried it either." assures the older boy. kai's face lightens a bit. but then, he adds, "happened the second time though!" smirking and earning himself a scoff from the younger boy.

"look, you're taking it all way too literally." says the slytherin. "find the connections between yourself and those symbols."

"wandless magic, huh?" kai sighs.

"before your heroes were even born, snowflake-" the slytherin drawls, etching on the corner of his book again. "before our mothers... and fathers-" he pauses, scratches out a draft- "and our grandparents' parents existed. before the history we know, there were magicfolk who only sang and danced to call the sun and the rain, changed the wind and cured illnesses-" he goes on. "muggles called them village elders, _shamans_ , sometimes miracle workers, or even lamer: _witch doctors_. you know this."

"i... believed they were... m-myths." kai stutters.

"just because you haven't yet witnessed something, doesn't mean it's a myth."

"no..." the hufflepuff agrees. "no, it doesn't. because... y-you're real."

yeonjun blinks, a not-quite-smile blooms on his lips and makes his eyes twinkle.

"and so are you, snowflake- " he returns quietly.

the slytherin slams his book shut, jabs the younger boy's arm with it- "so, you need to stop pretending you don't exist. you already know how that works for you."

"i just... don't want to cause any more trouble." kai murmurs, rubbing the part where the book hit him.

yeonjun groans. "well, i'm here to say that no matter what you do, dear, trouble is going to follow-" he stretches out comically, wriggling, flips the volume off his leg to the spot between them- "might as well learn to love it." 

the older boy rolls to his side, rests his head on one arm. "now, give me a story." 

from the book escapes four, white butterflies.

\--

the hall rings with the characteristic sound of _his_ enamel crusted heels.

the hufflepuff purses his lips. he really does not have time. but he turns around to hear it anyway, doesn't expect it when the ravenclaw says, "err... you really couldn't make it more obvious if you tried-" he half laughs, hand on the nape of his neck. "i'm backing off."

the hufflepuff doesn't respond, a little taken aback. he shifts his weight on one leg. 

"but... don't get your hopes up just yet. i like competition. i like working hard for things-" the ravenclaw starts again- "and i know right now, i can't keep up. but i just want you to consider..." he scrunches his fair face- "me. one day."

"sorry." 

"i know. i just don't want you to end up heart broken." 

they stand silent for a while, not really looking anywhere. 

"anyway-" the ravenclaw chirps, looking less dejected, though it's obviously a facade. "tournament soon! good luck to us both!" he turns to go, but the hufflepuff's hand is on his shoulder. he is sporting a dimple bearing half smile. "i really am sorry."

"i wouldn't want to come between anything." 

the boy runs off with him just watching.

and he _is_ sorry. because there is no chance to even _consider_. because an unbreakable vow doesn't work that way.


End file.
